Connie Villa, 35, was arrested Sunday morning at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix. She was charged with one count of first degree murder and four counts of attempted murder.

Villa is the mother of Aniarael Macias, 13, who was found dead in the bathroom of her home on Christmas Day.

Thomas Anderson of the Casa Grande Police Department said Adam Villa, 33, called police Dec. 25 claiming he had been stabbed repeatedly in the upper torso by his ex-wife. He drove himself to a hospital.

When police arrived at the home, Connie refused to open the door and officers had to force their way in, according to Anderson. Once inside, they found Connie holding a knife to her chest and suffering from stab wounds.

A short time later, officers found Connie’s oldest daughter, Aniarael, dead in a bathroom.

Anderson said investigators believe Connie forced her younger children, ages 3, 5, and 8, to take prescription narcotic drugs in an attempt to kill them. Those children are in the hospital in stable condition, police said. Initial tests showed trace amounts of opiates in their systems.

Aniarael’s body had no visible signs of injury or trauma, and an autopsy report was
inconclusive on the cause of death, Anderson said.

Authorities are awaiting toxicology results, which could take up to a month,
but they believe the teen was likely poisoned.